Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
COME~INATION TERMINAL
BACKGROUND OF THE Illi7ENTION
Th~s invention relates to terminals for receiving
both quick connect terminals and stripped wires, i.e~ electrical
conductors stripped of their insulation, and, more particularly,
to combina~ion terminals capable of recei~iny either a quick
connect terminal or a stripped wire or both.
Terminals used on presently available electronic
products are one of the following basic types: solder;
screw; snap; and, ~uick connect. There .is one recognized
character.istic that is common to all of these types of
terminals - they are typically designed to accept only one
type of conductor end configuraticn.
For medium current and high volume applications, t-he
5nap and quick connect type of terminals are the most widely
used because of the resulting labor saving.s in installation
and/or disconnection. However, the devices which use the
snap and quick connect types of terminals may also, in some
applications, require connection to electrical conductors
which have their insulation stripped away, i,e. stripped
wires. Thus, there is a need for term;.nals with combined
features on certain high volume products to satisfy the re~
quirements of manufacturers at different technological
~evels as well as service and fi.eld replacel"ent condltions.
Presently, electronic devices are equipped with one of the
above noted single purpose terminals wi.th a few manufacturers
ofering special adapters to convert one type of terminal to
another. ~owever, in certain instances, space and safety
considerations prohibit the use of such adapters even at the
extra cost.
Moreover, present connectors which are designed to
receive and hold terminals therein are either chosen from a
group of materials which have good electrical conductivity
and resistance to corrosion or from a group of materials
having enough resiliency to hold the terminal in electrical
contact with the connector. The terminal of the present
invention is configured to receive either a quick connect
terminal or a stripped wire and has good electrical conduc-
tivity, high resistance to corrosion as well as sufficient
resiliency to retain the quick connect terminal and the
stripped wire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A combination terminal for receiving quick connect
terminals and/or stripped wires is provided having a current
carrying member of good electrical conductor and resistance
to corrosion, and a spring element having sufficient resiliency
to bias the quick connect terminal and/or the stripped wire
against the current carrying member.
In accordance with the invention there is provided
a comhination terminal for receiving a quick connect terminal
and!or at least one stripped wire comprising a current carry-
ing member and a spring element, said current carrying member
and said spring element arranged to receive said quick connect
terminal and said stripped wire therebetween, said spring
element having sufficient resiliency to bias said quick
connect terminal and said stripped wires against said current
carrying member.
3Q In accordance with the invention there is also
provided a combination terminal adapted to receive a quick
connect terminal and a stripped wire comprising: an electric-
ally insulative housing having a recess therein; a current
carrying member, having good electrical conductivity, located
within said recess; and, a spring element located within said
recess, said current carrying member and said spring element
being in juxtaposition, said spring element having a first
means for biasing said quick connect terminal against said
current carrying member and a second means for biasing said
; 10 stripped wire against said current carrying member.
In accordance with the invention there is also
provided a combination terminal for receiving a quick connect
terminal and/or at least one stripped wire comprising a current
carrying member and a spring element, said current carrying
member and said spring element being arranged to receive said
- quick connect terminal and said stripped wire so that said
quick connect terminal and/or said stripped wire electrically
engages said current carrying member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
_ ... . _
These and other features and advantages will become
apparent from a detailed consideration of the invention when
taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a top cross sectional view of the prefer-
red combination terminal according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of the spring element shown
in Figure l;
.~
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Figure 3 is a side view of the spri.ng element;
Figu~e 4 shows the device of Figure 1 havi.ng received
a f lat quick connect terminal and a stripped wire;
Figure 5 is a perspective vi.ew of the device shown in
Figure 1 Wit~l the inserted quick connect terminal and stripped
wire; and,
Figures 6-9 show alternative forms for the current
carrying member and spring element of the combinati.on tenninal
according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In Figure 1, the combination terminal 10 comprises an
electrically insulativ~ housing 11 having recess 12 therein.
Current carrying member 13, which is chosen from a material
such as copper or brass for good electrical conductivity, is
inserted within recess 12 of housing 11. The current carry.ing
member has a first leg 14 which is mounted within recess 12
of housins 11 and extends transversely of housing 11. It
has a second leg 15 which extends perpendicularly from a ~J Y~ ~U~
first side o~ leg 14 and is pardllel to edge ~ of recess 12 ~ ~j8
and a second leg 17 which extends perpendicula~ly from the oc~ 3/
other side of first leg 14 and may termlnate in a pr,nted
circuit board or a suitable connector for connection with an
~lectronic product.
Also within recess 12 is s~ring element 21 forme~ from
a resilien~ mater,ial such as spring steel ~hich may be
coated with cadmium to protect it against corrosion. Spring
element 21 has a first portion or means 22 which is posi-
~ioned wlthin recess 12 generally inclined to leg 15 OI
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current carrying member 13. This portion 22 may be flat for
biasing a quick connect terminal against current carrying
member 13. Because spring element 21 is made from a resilient
material, when a quick connect termina] is inserted between
it and current carrying member 13, portion 22 will bend away
from current carrying member 13 slightly to exert a force
against the quick connect terminal to bias it against current
carrying member 13. Spring element 21 has a second portion
or means 23 which, within recess 12, is positioned generally
symmetrically angled to the first leg 14 of current carrying
member 13 to lean against the wall of recess ]2 and facilitate
a symmetrically reversed mounting position. Portion 23 of
spring element 21 is serrated so that, when a stripp~d wire
is inserted between it and leg 14 of current carrying member
13, the serrations will hold the stripped wire within the
terminal for providing a good contact between it and current
carryins member 13. When the stripped wire is to be withdrawn,
a tool (i.e. screwdriver) can be used to push down portion
23 of the spring element to disengage serratior. 23 from
2~ stripped wire 32 captured between spring element 21 and the
current carrying member allowing withdrawal OL the wire.
Spring element 21 also has a thixd portion ~ which abuts
against wall 25 of recess 12 to provide adequate support
against the self-locking forces e~erting on the spring
elemeIIt at the contact point with the wire. When spring
element 21 is inserted within the recess 12 of housing 11,
its surface 26 abuts against wall 27 of recess 12 -nd port1on
23 abuts w~ 8 so that spring element 21 is wedged within
recess 12 of housing 11 and will be thereby reta ned therein.
3~ Wall 25 provides a reference against which spring element 21
is positicned to retain it within sufficiently close proximity
~o leg 15 of current carryins member 13 to insure enough
pressure against. the quick connect terminal to provide good
contact between that terminal and leg 15.
Figure 4 shows a quick connect terminal 31 and a
stripped wire 32 in the positions described above. When
quick connect terminal 31 is inserted ir,to the combination
terminal, portion 22 of spring element 21 flexe~ back suffi-
ciently to apply a force against quick connect terminal 31
pushing it against leg 15 of current carrying member 13 to
establ.ish good electrical contact between it and current
carrying member 13. When a stripped wire is to be inserted
into the combination terminal shown in Figures 1-5, it is
inserted between leg 14 of current carrying member 13 and
portion 23 of spring element 21. Leg 14 is provided with
.ecess 33 shaped to conform to the general sr:ape of the
stripped wire 32. Stripped wire 32 is inserted within this
recess and between it and portion 23. Portion 23 is flexed
back enough to allow insertion of stripped wire 32 and
applies a force to the stripped wire pusking it against leg
14 of current carrying member 13 thereby establishing a good.
electrical contact between the stripped wire and the current
carrying member. The serrations on portion 23 grip the wire
to contribute the self-losking wedging effect necessary to
2S ~reven~ it from ~eing accidentally withdrawn.
In the alternative form shown in ~ qure 6, a current
carrying member 41 has a U-shaped end into which one end of
spri~g element 42 i.s inserted, the other end of which abuts
against housing 43 of the comb.ination terminal. Spring
element 4~ has a portion which is substantially
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parallel to one leg of current carrying member 41, ard the
combination t~rrainal is adapted to receive either quick
connect terminal 44 between the first portion of spring
element 42 and current carrying member 41 or has serrati.ons
~5 at either end of the first portion of spring element ~2
t~ recei~-e stripped wire 46. In this case, the first portion,
and the second portion defined by the serrations 4S, are on
the same face of spring element 42.
In Figure 7, spring element 51 is formed from a "cross"
shaped blank having all four legs bent to fit within generally
U-shaped current carrying member 52~ Two legs of spring
element 51 abut opposit~-sides of current carrying member
52. Both of these legs of spring element 51 which abuts
against the U-shaped current carrying member 52 are provided
~5 with recesses 57 and 58 so that different size stripped
wires 55 and 55(a) can be inserted in the recesses between
the two opposite leys of spring element 51 and current
carryins member 52. These legs o spring element 51 are
angled so that they grip the st~ipped wire 55 to prevent
the.ir accidental ~ithdrawal. If wire 55 i 5 to be withdrawn~
a screwdrive.r may be use~ to force down the leg of spring
element 51 to deflect it away from current carrying member
52 and wire 55 may be withdra~Jn. ~uick connect terminal 54
may then be inserted between leg 56 of spring element 51 and
the cross member of the U-shaped current ca~rying member 52.
In Figure 8, current carrying member 61 has a
first leg 52 and a second generally U-shaped leg 63 whiCh i5
folded back upon itself and cooperates with slot 64 in
sprinc3 element 65 for receiving quick connect terminal 66
between t}le folded back legs for electrical contact therewith.
Spring element 65 also has a serrated leg 6'7 for receiving
a stri.pped wire 68 between it and the ~ey 62 of current
sarrying member 61.
In Fi~ure 9, current carrying member 71 has general-
ly parallel legs 72 and 73 with cross leg 74 forming a generally
U-shaped current carrying member. However, leg 73 is folded
back to provide plate 75 generally parallel to the cross leg
74. A spring element 76 has one leg 77 wedged within the
recess formed between leg 73 and its folded back portlon, and
a serrated portion 78 for cooperating with leg 72 of current
carrying memher 71 to hold stripped wire 79. Quick connect.
terminal 80 may be ins~rted between the cross le~ 74 of cur-
rent carrying 71 and its folded back ~ 75.
As seen by the many alternative forms of the inven-
tion, the current carrying member and spring element may take
various shapes but generally must be adapte~ to receive either
a quick connect terminal or a stripped wire or ~n both, some
occasions more than one wires different si~,e. The portion
of the spring element for retair.ing the stripped wire may be
the same ~ortion or on the same face of the spr:ing element
as long as it performs both functions, or they may be on
separate faces or separate portions of the spring element~
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